Barriers to accessing mental health services in The Gambia: patients’/family members’ perspectives

BJPsych International

article

Lamin F. M. Barrow¹  Ann Faerden² 

[1] Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo;Clinic of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital

关键词: Barriers;    access;    mental health;    service users;    The Gambia;   

DOI  :  10.1192/bji.2021.26

学科分类：神经外科学

来源: Canadian Science Publishing

【 摘 要 】

This paper concerns mental health services in The Gambia. It describes local concepts, experiences and knowledge about mental illness and the implications of such beliefs and attitudes for access to mental health services. A pretested questionnaire and interview guide were administered to a sample of patients/family members. Barriers to accessing mental health services were identified. These included beliefs about the causes of mental illness; family decision-making; the scarcity and high cost of services. Obtaining access to mental health services in The Gambia is currently challenging. Importantly, increased community and family education about the causes and treatment of mental illnesses will be required to address these issues.

【 授权许可】

CC BY|CC BY-NC-SA|CC BY-NC-ND